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תקנות פון בלאג: יעדער קען שרייבען תגובות, אבער נישט קיין ניבול פה, באליידיגען אדער סטראשענען, ווער עס וועט נישט איינהאלטען די תקנות וועט מען חוסם זיין..Rules of the Blog: Everybody is welcome to write comments, however no vulgar language, insults or threats will be tolerated, you will be banned immediatelyDo NOT keep changing your Nick when writing comments, I can recognize you and will ban youIf you are aware of any molestation in the Jewish community, please report it to the proper authorities, and then please send us an emil with as many details as possible, so we can follow up and warn the TziburThis Blog is here for a purpose - to fight pedophilia and znus, not for snide remarks, filthy comments or threats

5/29/2015

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has stated
that any allegation of child sexual abuse must be reported to the police
“without delay”, following last week’s conviction of a Charedi teacher for
sexual assault.

All rabbis under the authority of the
chief rabbi are to be asked to attend a mandatory seminar being organised by
the United Synagogue to alert them to the dangers of abuse.

Todros Grynhaus, the son of a dayan
of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, awaits sentence after being
found guilty in Manchester of seven counts of sexual abuse against two girls aged
14 and 15 at the time.

In a statement issued this afternoon,
Rabbi Mirvis said the conviction was of “immense significance” and praised the
courage of victims and others who “withstood tremendous pressure” to bring it
about.

“Though certainly not the first such
case, it sends an unequivocal message that nobody, in any part of our
community, can expect to commit these horrific crimes and escape prosecution,”
he said.

“This kind of abuse is a stain on all
of society and we are no less vulnerable to the scourge of sexual crimes than
any other community,” he said. “Perpetrators of these crimes destroy lives and
every one of us shares in the responsibility to protect victims and potential
victims.

“As such, we must not only ensure
that all incidents are reported to the police without delay, but that we must
do everything in our power to promote a culture whereby reporting such crimes
to the relevant statutory authorities is supported and encouraged.”

Rabbi Mirvis said that he was writing
to rabbis this week to advise them of a “mandatory, dedicated seminar that the
United Synagogue is organising on behalf of its communities, in order to better
prepare rabbis to identify and respond to incidents of child abuse in their
communities and to reinforce the importance of being vigilant at all times.”

He is also meeting victims of abuse
and campaigners against it to find out “what more can be done to better protect
vulnerable people in our communities”, he said.

Communities should have “robust child
protection” policies in place and review them regularly to ensure they are up
to date.

The Chief Rabbi's statement in full:

The conviction of a prominent member
of the Manchester Jewish community for sexual abuse is of immense significance.
Though certainly not the first such case, it sends an unequivocal message that
nobody, in any part of our community, can expect to commit these horrific
crimes and escape prosecution. The longstanding view of the Chief Rabbi and
Beth Din has been restated a number of times in recent years, but this is an
opportune moment to reinforce that position once again.

I would like to commend the victims
and others who withstood tremendous pressure and gave evidence. I hope that
their courage will inspire others to come forward in the future.

This kind of abuse is a stain on all
of society and we are no less vulnerable to the scourge of sexual crimes than
any other community. Perpetrators of these crimes destroy lives and every one
of us shares in the responsibility to protect victims and potential victims. As
such, we must not only ensure that all incidents are reported to the police
without delay, but that we must do everything in our power to promote a culture
whereby reporting such crimes to the relevant statutory authorities is
supported and encouraged.

It is imperative that communities
across the country have robust child protection policies in place and should
act in consultation with the statutory services. Every community should review
its policies and procedures regularly and consider what else can be done - we
can always do more.

Further to previously held training
seminars for Rabbis, I will be writing this week to Rabbis across the country,
advising them of a mandatory, dedicated seminar that the United Synagogue is
organising on behalf of its communities, in order to better prepare Rabbis to
identify and respond to incidents of child abuse in their communities and to
reinforce the importance of being vigilant at all times. In addition, I am
meeting with victims of abuse and campaigners in this area to seek views from
them as to what more can be done to better protect vulnerable people in our
communities.

May we all have the courage to seek
out and challenge cruelty and injustice from within our midst.